Who We Are

Integrated Investment Office

King Pine Investments (“KPI”), founded by Sarah Clark and Stuart Ames, creates an integrated outsourced investment office for each of our endowment and foundation clients. During our years working with mission driven organizations, we have developed specialty knowledge that helps us navigate the nuances of how investment portfolios intersect with your organization’s mission, strategic plan, objectives, financing, and fundraising.

We have seen the OCIO industry grow from simple investment advice to include enhanced reporting and back office support. This evolution is heading toward a closer integration of the outsourced investment office with all aspects of the organization – the integrated investment office.

Leadership

Sarah Clark, Partner

BIOGRAPHY

Sarah Clark is a partner and founder of King Pine Investments. She works closely with endowments and foundations as an outsourced chief investment officer, guiding clients through their investment policy discussions and then implementing portfolios. Sarah is responsible for asset allocation development and client service.

Prior to starting King Pine Investments, Sarah was Managing Director and Head of Commonfund’s Strategic Solutions Group for 15 years. At Commonfund, she was responsible for managing a team of investment professionals that advise, implement and monitor outsourced investment solutions for over 80 non-profit clients representing more than $7 billion in assets. Before managing the Strategic Solutions group, Sarah was a portfolio manager in Commonfund’s fixed income team, responsible for portfolio construction and manager due diligence. Prior to joining Commonfund in 2000, Sarah was Vice President at Schroder Investment Management North America, where she was a member of the Fixed Income Investment Strategy Group and was responsible for marketing and client service. She has over 30 years investment experience at both investment management firms – Bankers Trust Company and Glickenhaus & Co – and consulting companies – Asset Strategy Consulting and InterSec Research Corp. She received an A.B. from Lafayette College. She currently serves on the Board of Trustees and the Head of the Investment Committee for Miss Porter’s School.

Stuart Ames, Partner

BIOGRAPHY

Stuart Ames is a partner and founder of King Pine Investments. He works closely with endowments and foundations as an outsourced chief investment officer, guiding clients through their investment policy discussions and then implementing portfolios. Stuart is also the chair of King Pine’s investment committee and is integral in the evaluation of managers and investment programs.

Prior to starting King Pine Investments, Stuart was a Managing Director on the Strategic Solutions OCIO Team at Commonfund where he was responsible for clients in the U.S. Central region and Canada. Prior to working at Commonfund, Stuart was the Chief Investment Officer at Global Hedge Strategies – a team within Citigroup that designed and managed customized portfolios of managers on a discretionary basis. Stuart started the alternatives investment programs at SEI Investments and began his career as a credit analyst at Morgan Stanley specializing in evaluating traditional investment managers and hedge funds.

Stuart earned an M.B.A. from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and graduated Magna Cum Laude (top 5%) from Brigham Young University with a B.A. in Economics.

The King Pine Name

In the early days of colonial North America, the first European settlers marveled at the tall, massive Eastern white pines that dominated the vast forests. The wood of the pinus strobus was strong and flexible – ideal characteristics for building durable homes, beautiful furniture and fleet ships. The tallest and highest quality trees were reserved for the Royal Navy to create masts and spars. These trees were marked with a distinctive arrow made by three hatchet marks known as the King’s broad arrow, and the trees were called the King’s Pines.

These King pines stand out among the other trees in the forest. They have experienced many cycles of fair and adverse weather, and despite the challenges of storms and winter, they grow straight and resilient. At King Pine Investments we value these same characteristics. We find inspiration in these trees that are both strong and flexible. Like the masts and spars that provided the structure to support sails, we help clients construct investment portfolios that harness the winds of modern financial markets. As a fiduciary for our clients, we exercise the wisdom and patience that comes from experience – like tall trees in the forest.